Reginald Powell, 55, was charged with first-degree murder, third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, second-degree burglary, two counts of third-degree grand larceny and two counts of third-degree possession of stolen property, all felonies. He was also charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor.

New York police stopped the defendant in Harlem on Dec. 30, 2010, for a traffic infraction, and he got out of the car and ran. After police caught him, they discovered that the SUV he was driving belonged to Katz. Police found he also had four of Katz's rings, along with drugs on his person and in the car.

Powell, of 392 North St. in White Plains, later told police about a body in a home in the Village of Mamaroneck. Katz's body was discovered a short time later in the closet of her home.

”This defendant brutally and viciously murdered a mother of two young women, placed her body in a closet, then stole her jewelry and her car," DiFiore said after the jury's verdict. "His explanations of his whereabouts at the time of the murder were riddled with lies and inconsistencies. His protestations of innocence were belied by simple facts and forensics. His total lack of remorse, exemplified by his actions after the killing, was clearly evident, all of which lead to his being convicted.”

The defendant faces life in prison without parole. He will be sentenced Feb. 28, 2013.

Assistant District Attorney Michelle Lopez, Deputy Chief of the Sex Crimes Bureau, and Assistant District Attorney Timothy Ward, Chief of Career Criminal Bureau, prosecuted the case.